Matabeleland South launches 136 devolution projects

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
Matabeleland South Province has initiated 136 projects under the devolution programme, with some already having been commissioned.
Speaking recently during a visit by the Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, Matabeleland South’s Acting Director of Local Government, Mr Zachariah Jusah, appealed for the timeous release of funds to enable local authorities to complete the projects.
The province has been allocated ZWG 507 million as part of this year’s devolution fund.
“We wish that your office could push our allocation a bit higher and ensure funds are released on time, as we are behind on some projects. Some projects have been running for a year or a year and a half without any activity. We hope to commission several projects this year, hence the need to complete them. As a province, we have about 136 projects, and about 20 percent have been completed,” he said.
With social amenities and infrastructure development being major pillars of the National Development Strategy (NDS1), local authorities have used devolution funds to complement efforts by communities and other stakeholders to ensure that projects are completed on time.
Devolution funds are assisting local authorities in fulfilling their obligations across the country through the development of key infrastructure such as clinics, classroom blocks, roads, bridges, and other facilities. Devolution funds have transformed several districts in the Matabeleland region, as the Second Republic steps up the inclusive developmental philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind. The devolution programme is one of the key pillars of the NDS1. The overarching goal of the NDS1 is to ensure high, accelerated, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, as well as socio-economic transformation and development, as the country moves towards an upper middle-income society by 2030.
@DubeMatutu
Comments